September 28, 2023
The Coming Of The Helper
“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”
John 16:8-12 (NASB)
In society today, we see pictures of sinfulness everywhere. Some see it as selfishness, and self-centeredness, while others label it as obtaining the “American Dream.” The heart of it all though is a rejection of rules placed into effect by a moral society. Morality has its roots in the Word of God. Within it lies respect, morality, truth, and the rules of society. To those of us who were born 50 or more years ago, this is common knowledge. Today, many are not aware of these changes. This is because society took a turn in the 1960s, in the era of free love, and open choice. The Bible tells us the heart of man is desperately wicked; man doesn’t even know how evil he is (Jeremiah 17:9). He embraces this evil because it is rooted in darkness, where his soul was born.
Jesus knew the disciples would face the same type of opposition, “because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness,” He faced the same opposition in human form. The word Jesus refers to is “sin.” In this context, the word identifies with not what we think of as common sin, but the sin of rejecting Christ as the Messiah. As Jesus led the disciples in the last few days, He knew the battles the disciples would face. If the Jews rejected Him, they would reject their testimony of Christ as Messiah too. This is because, “… everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:20). The lost do not like to have sin exposed to the Light. It brings conviction and the idea of punishment for sin. When Jesus left to go back to heaven (within the next 40+ days), He would send the Helper (the Holy Spirit) to them. The Spirit of God would continue the work Jesus performed but would indwell the believer. There are three words Jesus uses: “sin,” “righteousness,” and “judgment.” These words are reconnected in verses 9-11 as Jesus explains each consequence. “Sin” is one the disciples would deal with every day. As mentioned, sin here refers to unbelief/ rejection of Christ. Jesus told the Jews He was the Messiah. Some believed it. Some didn’t. The Holy Spirit now does the same in this age, as He draws through conviction of sin. “Righteousness” (synonymous with justice) refers to Christ as the righteousness of God (Rom. 3:21-26) and His innocence before God. This is the opposite of “sin” and to be yearned for after conviction. When one turns from his former life to Christ,righteous living should be the result. Christ is perfect, mankind is not, so he needs God’s help. No man can achieve righteousness before God. Only Christ can. “Judgment” (or decision), refers to the condemnation of those who lack the righteousness of God. This includes the ruler of this present world (John 12:31). “Jesus interprets his death, not as defeat, but rather as a triumph over the ruler of this world.”[1]
Jesus planned this all out. He knew we would be even greater benefactors of His presence through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit living within the believer. We have a precious person living within each of us who knows Christ. It is the perfect plan of God for His children!
[1] Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John (p. 505). United Bible Societies.